Jon Carmichael, an eighth grader died of suicide yesterday in Joshua Texas. Celebrity Marie Osmond’s eighteen year old son Michael Blosil died of suicide last month on February 26th. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among ages 15 – 24 and fourth for ages 10 – 14 according to the American Acadamy of Pediatrics. The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta states that 60% of high school students have thought about committing suicide, and approximately 9% have tried killing themselves at least once. According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), about 8 out of every 100,000 teenagers committed suicide in 2000. For every teen suicide death, experts estimate there are 10 other teen suicide attempts.
Bulling – an age old problem is one of the major causes and has garnered recent headlines. Social Media such as Facebook and twitter with use of cellphones increases the indiscriminate behavior exponentially leaving children the feeling of having no way out, no where to hide because of the brutal invasion of their privacy. Anti-Bullying laws are being passed and many school districts are now focusing on recognition and prevention.
The Danvers Herald reported a new Teen Suicide Prevention training Program called SOS. They along with other School Districts are attempting to teach signs and symptoms of depression.
Risk factors for Teen Suicide:
- Depression or feelings of loneliness or helplessness
- Alcohol or drug addiction
- A family history of abuse, suicide, or violence
- Previous suicide attempts; almost half of teens who commit suicide had attempted suicide previously.
- A recent loss such as a death, break-up, or parents’ divorce Illness or disability
- Stress over school, relationships, performance expectations, etc.
- Fear of ridicule for getting help for problems
- Being bullied or being a bully
- Exposure to other teens committing suicide, such as at school or in the media
- Access to firearms or other lethal objects
- A belief that suicide is noble
Signs that a teen may be contemplating suicide:
- Talks about death and/or suicide (maybe even with a joking manner).
- Plans ways to kill him or herself.
- Expresses worries that nobody cares about him or her.
- Has attempted suicide in the past.
- Dramatic changes in personality and behavior.
- Withdraws from interacting with friends and family.
- Shows signs of depression.
- Shows signs of a substance abuse problem.
- Begins to act recklessly and engage in risk-taking behaviors.
- Begins to give away sentimental possessions.
- Spends time online interacting with people who glamorize suicide and maybe even form suicide pacts
As parents, grandparents, teachers, and caregivers in any capacity we must be vigilant. Take the child to the doctor at the first sign of any problems, seek counseling. Report abuse and bullying. There must be a zero tolerance of abuse and or bullying in any form at home, at school, at church or anywhere else in the community that we can influence. We need to make our world a safe and inviting environment for children.
Resources for Teenage Suicide Prevention:
Free Teen Suicide Hotline The National Suicide Prevention Directory
Youth Suicide Prevention Program Focus Adolescent Services
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255
Author Jodi Piccoult wrote about this phenomenon in her novel The Pact. A new YA novel that includes this issue as part of a subplot is Summer in Paris by Michelle Ashman Bell.
The suicide rates for LGBTQ teens is 3 times as high.
Yes, that is so true and unfortunate. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment.
I believe this is a real issue. Nice effort on the article, I liked the resently sited issues it brings it forward into the reality of the problem…If it were me I would try and find newer statistics because as Serena Stated about, I believe also the rates have probably trippled in the last 10 years.
I put additional stats in . Unfortunately the Data on line is not updated. The only current things I could get were news stories which clearly show the problem is skyrocketing.
Thanks for leaving a comment.
Very good post, I am a big believer in commenting on blogs and forums to allow the blog authors know that they have added something of value to the web!
Excellent job.
Wonderful!
From what ive read on previous blogs this seems to be true so I can also confirm this.
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Howdy, your site is on air in the radio! Good job mate. Your posts are truly great and bookmarked. Regards
An fascinating discussion is value comment. I feel that you must write more on this subject, it may not be a taboo topic but generally people are not open enough to talk on such topics.
Are you aware of the seriousness in verbal abuse? A.k.a bullying at its best! Sometimes hurtful words can cause more pain than physical abuse and In this case it can lead to suicide! Nowadays bullying can happen anywhere and because the internet is becoming a main source of communication it is also becoming a main cause of bullying! It saddens me to think that above all the pressures of being a young student and learning to adjust to the overwhelming pressures of everyday life such as school work, finding a source of income, applying to collages, peer pressure, and to top it off trying to fit in the stereotype of “cool”. To me being “cool” consists of being different, unique and having the potential of standing up for what is right and not settling for what may be “cool” at that moment. In a young mind it is very common to do things on impulse unaware that serious consequences can accrue down the road. For me it was always very important to consider other peoples feelings and when being a witness to bullying never allowing it to reach its full potential. During high school I witnessed many bullying incidents and made it clear that these victims have feelings and different intentions and we need to learn to accept people for who they are because America was built on diversity and freedom of expressing oneself so who are “you” to speak upon someone else’s looks, clothes, friends, personality, or love interest? Like a snowflake NO two people are alike so lets learn to embrace the beauty in being different!
If anyone is a victim of bullying please know there is help! Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem! and remember “10 years from now it wont matter the shoes you wore or the friends you had what will matter is the person you become!”